Friday, 5 February 2016

Weekend Warmers: Chambers - A Dead Forest Index - Nations of the Soul

Chambers - Yeagin Shone.

Background promo - Forming as a time killer in high school, it was only after graduating that the boys from Chambers (Jim, Jason, Hendo, and Aiden) started taking their music and creativity more seriously.After playing a bunch of shows for two years straight, the months leading up to the end of 2015 saw the band take a bit of a break to recoup, recollect and start working on a brand new set and musical direction. Their new single “Yeagin Shone” encompasses their transition from being young and dumb, to being slightly older and slightly wiser.2016 has just begun, and Chambers will make it their best one yet. The single was recorded at Tender Trap Studios and was produced and engineered by Greg “Bees Knees” Rietwyk. Mastering was done by Jacob M at Clockwork Mastering.“'Yeagin Shone’ was written about a mate of ours who was going through a mental rough patch, it was one thing seeing him go through it but I wanted to explore it from both the perspective of the ailment he had and his own perspective. Sorta delving into the frame of mind you have and the thoughts that follow when you come to terms with your issue.” - ChambersThe single sounds like a band who have found their feet and are excited to explore what lies ahead of them.

'Yeagin Shone' is a delicious piece of indie come psych rock. There's a 'surf and sunshine' vibe to it, along with a more rock orientated latter feel.

Background promo - Sargent House is pleased to announce the signing of New Zealand via London duo A Dead Forest Index and the release of their debut full length album In All That Drifts from Summit Down on 29th April 2016.Landscapes both seen and felt, real and imagined, lie at the heart of In All That Drifts From Summit Down, the vast debut full-length release from nomadic duo A Dead Forest Index. Comprised of brothers Adam Sherry (vocals/guitar) and Sam Sherry (drums/piano), the group crafts ethereal and intensely intimate compositions that defy trends and labelling, instead shaping an aural experience as organic as it is unpredictable. Forsaking instrumental complexity in favour of richly dense vocals and an otherwise minimal palette, the band evokes heaviness with the atmosphere they create rather than through blunt force. Teaming-up with Sargent House on the heels of a recent European tour supporting label mate Chelsea Wolfe, A Dead Forest Index are poised to introduce their sound to a global audience in 2016.A Dead Forest Index was initially the solo project of Adam Sherry, begun in 2008. By 2010, it had evolved into a collaboration, with Sam Sherry supplying percussive depth to his brother’s distinctively hymnal approach to vocals, itself characterised by cyclical harmonies and experiments with drone. Untethered by place (or, for that matter, era), they’ve spent the past few years developing their sound, touring extensively between 2012-2014, and issuing the EPs “Antique” and “Cast of Lines” in the process. The latter was released by Jehnny Beth of Savages’ Pop Noire label, a precursor to the collaborative Savages/A Dead Forest Index composition and performance titled “In What I’m Seeing; the Sun” for the Barbican’s Station to Station Festival in 2015.

Vocally this just soothes and demands attention, With the rhythmic beat it becomes closer to hypnotic. Totally atmospheric whilst remaining crisp and clear (sounds like a fine wine description, and in that sense the parallels are not accidental).

Background words - Nations of the Soul, indie folk duo from Norway, is releasing their debut album 5th February. They have released 3 singles in advance, which have been picked up and loved by the Norwegian press/radio.Having honed their musical expression in the shadows of the stage, the brothers – Mikael and Lucas Roussel, took the stage at the Eggstock Festival and ended in a second place. Since then they have been booked to several venues and played support for acts like Hudson Taylor. They are originally from France, but moved to Norway 5 years ago.Nations of the Soul operates within a broad term of indie and folk pop with strong and humble songs about life, which puts them in the same bracket as The Lumineers, Simon & Garfunkel and Mumford & Sons.

There's a little bit of 'sixties protest song' feel to the featured track 'Bring Us Back Home'. It's also pretty short in duration, but hopefully enough to give a idea for, what is a really fine collection of indie folk songs on the album.